Saturday 20 December 2014

Tuesday 28 October 2014

RHP have been awarded Jagermeister Freezer Sessions "Live Band of the Year" by Hot Press Music Magazine


Very exciting news for Rackhouse Pilfer, after being shortlisted from thousands of Irish bands, we have just been awarded by Hot Press Music Magazine (Ireland's #1 music mag) Jagermeister Freezer Sessions "LIVE BAND OF THE YEAR 2014".
It's been such a busy year of touring and gigging & it's been all worth while!!!
Thanks to our great fans & followers who supported us in the selection process, thanks to Hot Press & Jagermeister!!
www.hotpress.com/thefreezersessions/winner

As winners we now Headline the 'Jagermeister Freezer Sessions gig in the Button Factory Dublin on the 4th December. And we will also be flown to the south of Germany to play a gig deep in a beautiful forest for Jagermeister. The gig will be filmed and premiered on Hot Press website.


For tickets to the Button Factory & to check out the class line up visit this page:
www.hotpress.com/Jagermeister-Freezer-Sessions/news/Jgermeister-Freezer-Sessions-2014-The-LineUp




Thursday 9 October 2014

Bags packs, back on the Road & playing some great Festival's this October


We're back on the road and we're heading to some great Festivals this October.
hope to see you there!!

9th to the 12th Oct
RocktoberFest, Galway 
With 22 bands over 4 days of music (starts today).
We're headlining the Sunday night!
Tickets available @ www.monroes.ie

10th to the 12th Oct
Wild Atlantic Match Making Festival , Dromahair
We're headlining the Friday night @ the Blue Devon
All profits go to The Childrens Ward Sligo Gerneral Hospital

22nd - 27th Oct
Sligo Live Folk, Roots & Indie Festival, Sligo
This is best loved small Festivals in Ireland & growing each year.
Headlining the main stage this year is the great Sheryl Crow, Horslips & Bell X1.
We are headlining the Pure Stage in the Festival Club on 26th oct (Sunday night).
We are also playing McGarrigles on the 27th for what is usually the after party.
Also we are playing an afternoon set in the Garavouge on the 26th 4pm (roughly).





Friday 26 September 2014

2 weeks holiday for the lads...

After a great summer of Festivals & gigs we are taking 2 weeks to recharge the batteries.
Thanks to everyone who came to our shows over the summer!!
We had a ball & have some great memories!!
We'll be back on the road in October & the gigs are listed on our webpage.
There's a few nice Festival gigs to come including our own headline show at 'Sligo Live' in 5th on Teeling on the 26th Oct & Rocktober Fest Galway's newest Festival 12th Oct in Monroes.

See you all soon guys & gals:)


Wednesday 27 August 2014

Sligo Fleadh, Hilden Beer Fest & Omagh Bluegrass Fest

We've just had a mad few weeks of Festivals all over the place.
From Sligo Fleadh to the Hilden Beer Fest Northern Ireland, to the 'Jack of Diamonds' Rythm & Roots Fest Dublin & back to Omagh Bluegrass Festival this weekend.
We've had our first taste of headlining festivals this year and we're loving it!!!

In the middle of all this we were on 'Fleadh TV', live show televised on BBC & TG4 last week, singing 3 songs. And also we are to be interviewed on BBC Radio Ulster this Friday on Lynette Fay's show 'Blas'!!

It's all go in the RHP band camp and long may it continue!!
Onwards and upwards!!

See you in the Omagh Bluegrass Fesatival this weekend. 
Where we'll be headlining their Friday night & playing all weekend at the Festival!! 

(Fleadh TV, Sligo August 2014)
(La Roche Bluegrass Festival, France August 2014)


Saturday 9 August 2014

Hometown gig yesterday to the packed streets of Sligo!!

Sligo Summer Festival yesterday was a great success!!! We played to a packed crowd on the streets of Sligo!! And Sister Sledge finished off the show in disco style!! #lostinmusic 
Then the party continued down in 5th on Teeling where we played another late night set and a few of Sister Sledges (and jamiroquai's) band came in and hung out and enjoyed our songs!! Nice guys.
Stendhal Festival in Northern Ireland later today & then back to Sligo for the Fleadh Festival week. #sligosbuzzin











Friday 8 August 2014

New Video for next single 'Fallen Leaves' released today!!

Fallen Leaves is a song full of memories & nostalgia. We wanted a video with some magic in it.
So our good friend Sean Clancy put this together for us!!!
We hope you enjoy our new video & Please share!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FF97mjWby4

Tuesday 5 August 2014

We had a ball at La Roche Bluegrass Festival 2014 in France!!!

Once again we had a ball at La Roche Bluegrass Festival France.
We were voted as the Festivals favourite band from 2013 and had the honour of closing the show on the Friday night of the 4 day Festival. Thanks so much to all the great people of La Roche for showing us such warm hospitality. We hope to return to the Festival again next year!!

A bientot mes amis,
Rackhouse Pilfer








Monday 28 July 2014

Heads up to our Dublin Friends, we'll be playing in the Button Factory on the 16th of August

We've not played in Dublin since March and we keep getting asked when we are back. so here's a date to put in your diary if you are in the Dublin area on the 16th of August. We'll be playing the main stage of 'Jack of Diamonds Rhythm and Roots Festival' on the 16th of August, also our good Sligo mates Tucan will play that night and load of other great Irish Bands including Tupelo, & Prison Love. 
This will be an awesome night so don't miss it!!
RHP

For more info log on to: http://jackofdiamonds.ie/


This Friday we have the honour to headline the Friday at La RocheBluegrass Festival France!!

We'll be closing out the Friday night at La Roche Bluegrass Festival later this week!!
This is one of Europes #1 Bluegrass Festivals and has the finest of Bluegrass & Americana Bands from all over the world.
Really looking forward to this Festival and glad to be invited back for a second year.
Look out France, we're gonna rock the place!!
RHP

http://www.larochebluegrass.fr/larochebluegrass.html


Friday 11 July 2014

Played for The President of Ireland last week!!! Such an Honour!!

Last week we played at President Michael D Higgins 'Garden Party' for 400 of our Presidents guests. It was such an honour, privilege & landmark moment for us!!


Monday 23 June 2014

Americana UK magazine 8/10 review for 'Love and Havoc'

Latest review for our album and this time from UK based Americana-UK magazine.

8/10 "intense and emotional pieces that hit you where it matters. 
This album is a breath of fresh air on the Americana scene"

http://www.americana-uk.com/cd-reviews/item/rackhouse-pilfer-love-and-havoc-independent-2014

Thanks very much to the americana-uk  team!!!

Monday 2 June 2014

Rock'n the Green Festival, RHP close out in style

We had the honour and pleasure of being the final band on at Rock'n the Green Festival yesterday. The festival ran for 2 days and finished in a great energetic performance last night!
Such a well run couple of days & all in our local Sligo. Very proud to have been asked to close the Fest, thanks to the organisers & everyone who came along!!









Sunday 1 June 2014

First big festival this summer

Rock'n the Green Festival in Sligo!! It's the 2nd year of this Fest and it's bigger, better & now over 2 days!!
Housed under a super big-top circus tent this will be a great start to our festival season... We are on last tonight after  'the walls' & 'Republic of loose'... 
Finished our sound check and getting excited now!! The sound system & set up is 1st class!






Sunday 18 May 2014

Hot Press 'Big Break' final five

We have been voted into the last five in the Hot Press 'big break'.
So after being shortlisted from thousands of bands to 33 bands, which got us to a public voting stage, we are now in the final five bands. The winner will be chosen by a hot press panel of judges.
We'd love to win this & have our faces on the cover of hot press music magazine!!!

Wish us luck:) 



Tuesday 6 May 2014

Front Cover of Bluegrass Europe Magazine

We are chuffed to be on the cover of Bluegrass Europe Magazine this issue !!
Great write up inside too!! 
Thanks a mil to guys at the magazine !! Especial that's to Angelika, Chris Keenan & also a massive Sligo thank you to Colin Gillen for taking the photos!!




Sunday 4 May 2014

Love and Havoc - Hot Press Magazine Review

Here's our much awaited Hot Press Magazine (Ireland's #1 music mag) review and it's a great review!!!

In addition to the great review, we've been shortlisted by Hot Press Mag from thousands of bands to be in the final voting stage of 'the big break' band competition. 
So please go and vote for us and share it with your mates & family to vote too!!
It's a free online voting system & only takes a minute
Here's the link.
http://www.hotpress.com/thebigbreak/vote/vote.php


Saturday 26 April 2014

Love and Havoc, where to get the new album

Our new album is available on iTunes to download. Link below:

http://bit.ly/RHPLoveandHavoc

If you prefer a hard copy open the page above to buy a CD.


Sunday 13 April 2014

Here's the first look at the new video for our song 'Bright Lights' from the new album 'Love and Havoc'


Presenting our new video for the first single from the album 'Love and Havoc'.
hope you enjoy and please share!!! Thanks to everyone involved in making it!!

If you wish to purchase the album it is on itunes, amazon & hard copies are available on this site.
http://bit.ly/RHPLoveandHavoc

Friday 28 March 2014

Official Release of Love and Havoc

 Our new album LOVE AND HAVOC is officially released today & available via iTunes and Amazon for download!!

SPREAD THE RHP LOVE -
Clicked here to purchase the album.

In addition, to celebrate, we are giving away 2 RHP t-shirts & 2 copies of the album to 2 winners. To enter please Like & Share the competition post on our Facebook page 
www.facebook.com/rackhousepilfer


Photo from the Sligo launch 16/3/14


Thursday 27 March 2014

Love and Havoc official release is tomorrow

The new album Love and Havoc is officially released tomorrow and will be available to download on iTunes & amazon and also in shops around Ireland! We are currently on the release tour and heading for Dundalk to play at the famous Spirit Store Live Venue. 
The Sligo launch on Paddys weekend was unreal & the turn out was amazing. We had two sellout nights at the Model Arts Centre with around 600 tickets sold. 
Also our Dublin launch last weekend in Whelans Dublin was a great success where we had a full house too!!
The goes to Cork, Kilkenny & Belfast next week. 
We're also being played on the radio at many of the top Irish stations.
Thanks do much to everyone who's helped us. 
We'll post the link for iTunes tomorrow when it goes live!!! Keep an eye out!!


Tuesday 11 March 2014

Love and Havoc - new album has arrived



So here's the update folks, Love and Havoc, our new album of original songs, has just arrived by the box load just in time for this weekends first launch party in Sligo...
15th & 16th March in 'the model' Sligo.
Tickets are available from the models website, 10e pp per night.
http://themodel.ie/music/rackhouse-pilfer-cd-launch

A big thanks to all our fans, family's, friends & everyone who has supported us!! This has been an amazing journey for us 'Pilfers' and hopefully it's only getting started!!! x

Other launch nights;
21st March Whelans Dublin
22nd March Monroe's Galway
23rd March Crocketts Ballina

Full tour dates below... 


Thursday 6 March 2014

'Love and Havoc' Tour starts 15th March

We are very excited to start our tour of the new album 'Love and Havoc'!!!
The first date on the tour is the 15th & 16th march in the model arts Centre Sligo (all details are on the poster below). It's set to be a great weekends entertainment in Sligo!!
The tour will go on for six weeks and will take us to the four corners of Ireland.
On the 28th of March the album 'Love and Havoc' will be available on iTunes (many more digital formats to get announced) & in shops around Ireland!!
The Rackhouse Revolution has begun:)
See you at gig in your local venue & hopefully ye can buy an album too!!


Thursday 20 February 2014

Love and Havoc - is the name of our new album

We are very excited about our new album and have just finished mastering the tracks!! All the songs are original and we are so happy with the sound & can't wait to share it with the world.
Love and Havoc - we can reveal is the album name and will be launched on the 15th & 16th of March 2014. Then we will take the album on tour around Ireland on a Nationwide tour. Tour list below.
So come and see us in a town near you & please share the news to anyone you know who'd be interested in catching our live show or buying an album.


Saturday 1 February 2014

It's Alive!! Rackhouse Pilfer's new original Album is born!!!

We've been here two weeks & we are now busy mixing the album together... 
Each day has been an early in the studio & we worked up to 8pm..
This gave us an opportunity to see some great bands & hang out in the evenings before a other early start the next day...

There have been many stand out moments over the past week!!
One was being asked to film a live set in Carter Vintage Guitars Shop.

While playing the set a guy came up and asked us to play at his birthday bash at the "Station Inn" this coming Monday @ 8pm... http://stationinn.com/index01/
Turns out this guy is a legendary Nashville guitarist Guthrie Trapp. 
We are very honoured to be asked and can't wait to sing our hearts out!
http://www.guthrietrapp.com/

Another stand out moment happened last night. We were invited by Country Music Hall of Fame-er, George Hamilton IV, to hang out backstage at the "Grand Ole Opry". He even introduced us to the packed crowd at the "Opry".. "Special guests 'Rackhouse Pilfer' all the way from Ireland". We were shocked but humbly took a bow.

The previous night (Thursday) we did a short set at a great venue called the Basement. And we have been asked to do another couple of showcase gigs at a few cool venues.

We are very grateful for the warm welcome we've received here in Nashville. 

As I write we are waiting to have a listen to our mixed album and try and figure out a song running order.
It's all very exciting!!! Our songs have come to life & we can't wait to share them now!!!

The last few pieces of the jigsaw are all set up for next week mastering & artwork. Photos have been taken by Colin Gillen who joined us on this adventure & has captured the lot on film & photos. It's been great having him here, he's great fun & is an inducted Pilfer himself at this stage!!! 

At the end of next week we fly home with the master in our hands & it'll handed over to be duplicated the minute we touch down in Ireland.

Thanks very much to all our friends, family & supporters!!! 
We've had a blast & have an album we are very proud of!!!
The biggest thanks has to go to our Fundit pledgers who helped make this album possible & helped make a bunch of sligo musicians dreams come true!!!


Monday 27 January 2014

Week 1 in the studio & in Nashville

Well we've been here a week & done so much!! Appologies for not updating our adventures sooner, but we've simply been flat out in the studio working on our songs and also making the most out of the amazing musical entertainment going on in Tennessee every night...

But I'll recap all we've been doing for those interested...

After seeing the great 'Time Jumpers' on Monday night, we decided to take it easy Tuesday & Wednesday and we just focused on the studio and our own tunes.. Wednesday evening we hung out with Willie's good friend Daniel Hyberger who lives here & is an outstanding bass/double bass session musician in town..  This ended up turning into a singsong at his house..

Thursday: Another early start in the studio. The album starting to take shape at this stage & there's a general sense of confidence mixed with relief that it's all working out... Producer Brad Jones has been great with us & totally put us at ease in his studio... He's getting the best out of us & totally gets that we are a live band and has captured that!!
Thursday night we went to the famous "Station Inn" to see a band called "Town Mountain" & they were great. A bluegrass band from North Carolina. The pub "The Station Inn" is an amazing venue & is one of the oldest surviving venues in town. This is also the place Old Crow Medicine Show cut their teeth & were discovered. 

Friday:  Early start in the studio. 
At lunch a TV producer out here, who we'd met during the week, asked us to do an interview for his entertainment show. We'll share the link when it airs this week. 
Friday night we couldn't resist going to see another band this time  a Chicken Pickin' Country Rock band.. And these guys were just great!! Loads of classic songs from Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Merle Haggard & Willie Nelson!!
 Saturday: This was our mid album day-off. And a friend of Willie had asked us to go to Franklin a small town south of Nashville. We were asked to perform on an Internet TV music show called "Viva Nashvegas" this was great fun. I'll include a link to the video.
www.facecook.com/vivanashvegasradioshow

Saturday afternoon we visited Carter Vintage  Guitars a shop that specialises in beautiful vintage instruments... 
Les topped the 'strum the most expensive instrument competition' we had when he sat down with a mandolin valued at $170,000.
Then Saturday night we were previliged to be on the guest list of a gig by the "Long Players" who play/recreate an entire classic album live once a month  and on this occasion it was After the Goldrush!! That was Leon ecstatic!! 
Our producer Brad Jones is a member of the band & we got to see him perform with Maura O'Connell, Kathy Mattea & Mary Gauchet who were guest singers on the night. Such a gig!!! 

Sunday: back in the studio where we started & finished our eight song on the album... And we are really cookin at this stage!! And the album sounds great!!

Sunday afternoon we were invited to play a live set in Carter Vintage Guitars which was video'd for their webpage..
https://www.facebook.com/catervintage

Over a week here and it's going great, we've all settle into the recording session & really enjoying the craic/fun in the band and with Brad, Colin & Mark (producer, film-maker &engineer)....
Big thanks to Colin Gillen who has been capturing the entire time & adventure here on film and is making a movie documentary about our first Nashville experience. 
More to come, we'll keep the posts coming!!!



Tuesday 21 January 2014

The first studio day.

So yesterday we settled slowly into the recording studio, there are so many amazing machines that need some teasing & gentle persuasion to get warmed up... Producer/Engineer Brad got busy waking up his exquisite machines with the help of his intern engineer Mark, as we all got comfortable in our respective mic-ed up areas with the finest of valve, custom & condenser mics.
The mic Fig's Fiddle is being recorded on is an extremely rare Neuman U87 which has been customised to include a valve (this is warming up the sound on his Fiddle beautifully). 
We discussed with Brad how we were going to record this album & capture the Rackhouse Pilfer essence best. We decided to record live and try capture a perfect take. This is how our Hero's would have done it back in the 70's, Little Feat, the Band, Townes Van Zandt & Bob Dylan, and it's a difficult technique but reveals the strength of the band.
Once we all got settled & the sound was almost fully tweaked, we began to record. To help relax us and not to wear out the album songs, we played a few familiar songs that we lash out at the gigs which included a version of Springsteen's "I'm on Fire". this may well be shared online as a taster to the album & to show how we're sounding in this fab studio.
This took us up to lunch time. 
After a handy lunch we turned to one of our new original songs "Dust on the Road", which was a big song to get started on. 
It's a fast paced sweaty song. We've been trying this song out at gigs this last few months so we have a good handle on how we want to approach it and play it. Brad had some great suggestions & really liked this tune. Right at the end of the session we got a take that everyone really enjoyed & we decided to switch off the gear, finish up for the night & listen in the morning with fresh ears.
Fingers crossed we nailed it!!

Last night all of us were tired and worn out. But there was a gig in a venue called  '3rd & Lindsley' we had been advised not to miss. This was an amazing venue with a band of Nashville Allstars, Country Music Hall of Fame-ers & the finest stage of musicians we have ever witnessed!!
These guys and gal play every Monday for the love of playing together. 
They were called 'The Time Jumpers' and are an eleven piece band that play Western Swing. We were all mesmerized at their musicianship and how the fun they had on stage resonated around the venue. Solo after better solo after even better solo. They just had such free spirited fun & a laugh trying to out play each other and it was great to watch. Vince Gill was on one of the lead guitars, Dawn Sears on vocals, on Drums was Billy Thompson, Paul Franklin on sublime Pedal Steel Guitar, Andy Reiss on lead guitar, Jeff Taylor on Piano & Accordion.  I'm sure I've left some of them our but there are so many... 
 Fiddlers Larry Franklin, Joe Spivey & Kenny Sears all shone on fiddle, virtuosos all three!! They played masterful cheeky solos and amazing three part fiddle sections in songs much like a brass section would do in a swing band.
Here's a video of them playing. http://youtu.be/IKYwdZrs1GE

We were all wrecked after the gig and hit the hay ASAP. Our out of sink body-clocks still have us all waking at 6:30am. But that's no harm as we are starting the recording sessions at 10am every day.
Day two is here and will be an interesting one... Everything is set up from day one so all we need to do is start playing.
Now's when the real work starts!!!

Monday 20 January 2014

Nashville Music City USA

We have arrived safely after a long flight through New York. Two days in Nashville and we've been taking in the sights, sounds, food & entertainment that's on offer. This is such a vibrant town & if you like Americana music then you must visit!!
In the 2 days we have been here we have seen some amazing bands, heard some of the finest musicians & met some amazing down to earth people!! 
For the first time in ages we have been on the listening side & Nashville has rocked!!
Saturday night we were at a show featuring John Carter Cash (son of guess who), Realyn Nelson (grand-daughter of Willie) & an amazing husband and wife duo called 'Blue Mother Tupelo'...
And we met original 'Oak Ridge Boys' singer William Lee Golden, such a gentleman & such a beard!!
Our own Les & Willie joined them for a rendition of 'Will the circle be unbroken' with everyone onstage for the last hootenanny song!! 
Then Sunday night we saw an amazing Texas Swing Band in Roberts bar on Broadway down town Nashville.
On fiddle was Hoot Hester (the house fiddler from the Grand ole Oprey) & on lead Guitar/Lap Steel was Chris Scruggs (grandson of Earle Scruggs). They were awesome & so tasty!! 
We've met the finest of musician & songwriters. Had a beer in a bar where Hank Williams Snr first sung 'Hey Good Looking' and cause hysteria in 1948... This town is just so steeped in music and legacy and everyone is so unassuming, polite & humble!!!

Sunday evening we met up with our producer Brad Jones and he showed us his studio and got to know each other. He's another gentleman and collector of vintage instruments, you name it he has it!! He was very interested in our songs & it was very relaxed.!!  We all can't wait to get started now.
This morning we start work!!! 
Rackhouse Pilfer in Alex the Great studio, Nashville Tennessee, second album here we go!! 

Wednesday 8 January 2014

Count down to our Recording trip to Tennessee!!!

Count down to take-off.
There's only 9 days left 'til we fly to Nashville Tennessee to record our second album in 'Alex the Great' studios.
Needless to say we are very excited to be taking off on the musical trip of a lifetime to 'Music City' USA!!!
Big thanks to all our supporters, family, friends & fundit pledgers!!! 
We'd never have had this chance if we didn't have such great loyal fans & supporters!! 'Big love' to you all from the Rackhouse Pilfer lads!!